A new variant of the DroidKungFu Android Trojan has been uncovered, presenting itself as a legitimate app update in order to sneak its way onto your phone.  It’s the first time a Trojan has used this exploit in order to gain access to devices.  Brought to the public’s attention by Lookout Mobile Security last week, the new version, which Lookout calls LeNa, uses social engineering to trick users into giving the installer super-user access on devices. Once deployed, the malware attaches itself to a native system process.

It’s the latest in a dangerous development that’s been building around Android devices, threatening security of users with more cunning tactics every day.  Each iteration brings more concern for smartphone users, as the booming mobile landscape presents an alluring challenge for attackers.  The unique environment mobile devices offer can blindside an end user, but it also encourages very specific solutions from dedicated companies like Lookout.

Just a few days after launching its first security app for iOS, Lookout expands its Android offering to include tablets.  Since they launched in 2009, Lookout has protected over 12 million smartphone users against mobile threats including malware, spyware and viruses.  Now they’re extending the same security protection and “find my phone” functionality to all Android tablet devices, including Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich tablets, in addition to those that are WiFi only.
Lookout users can now easily protect and manage multiple, even cross-platform mobile devices, from a single online destination at mylookout.com, including Android phones and tablets as well as iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches.  Lookout will also update mobile devices automatically over the air— making it easier than ever to instantly keep devices and data safe.  Lookout enables people to back up their precious data, find a missing device when it is lost or stolen, and manage their phone security remotely.

With global tablet sales estimated to tally 63.6 million units in 2011, people across the globe will use their tablets as miniature computers to share, store, and transmit valuable information, making it paramount that people take steps to protect them.

In addition to the security, data back up, and find-my-phone features offered in Lookout’s free Android product, Lookout Premium provides comprehensive security and privacy protection that will also be available to Android tablet and smartphone owners.  People can register both their smartphone and tablet under one account and pay the standard price of $2.99/month or $29.99/year.

Lookout created its mobile threat protection to meet the specialized needs and challenges of mobile devices and networks.  Balancing computing power between the device and the cloud, Lookout provides always-on protection that doesn’t interfere with device performance.  Lookout’s been building its ecosystem around a series of consumer and developer tools, including a recently launched API, which Sprint readily added to its devices for security purposes.

Lookout recently received $40 million in a round of funding led by Andreessen Horowitz.  With the increasing demand for mobile devices, malware attacks also flourish and these cyber threats could easily acquire our personal information without us even noticing it.  Anything that can connect to the web can fall prey to these cyber threats, and it’s best to keep ourselves protected before anything happens.  Lookout has been proactive on the mobile security front for some time, enabling us all to do the same.